Elevating-truck



D. E. HENNESSY.

ELEVATING TRUCK,

APPLICATION FILED JAN. II, I9l8.

Patented Sept. 20, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

flea/e12 fol mud E Henhesfiy 2D I M 419 7014313.

D. E. HENNESSY.

ELEVATING TRUCK.-

Patented Sept. 20, 1921.

WM H s g F. e E M R N O R 8 m m EH. M V N NE 4 d WE APPLlCATlON FILEDJAN. 11, 1918. 1,390,992.

D. E. HENNESSY.

ELEVATING TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11 1919.

Patented Sept. 20,1921.

D. E. HENNESSY.

ELEVATING TRUCK.

I APPLlCATION FILED JAN. H, IBIS.

Patented Sept. 20, 1921.

4 SHEETS-*SHEET 4.

\ a fforne /s.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL E. HENNESSY, OF HOLYO KE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HERBERT W.

OOWAN, J. LEWIS WYCKOFF, AND EDWARD N. WHITE, TRUSTEES, DOING BUSI- NESSAS THE GOWAN TRUCK COMPANY.

ELEVATING-TRUCK.

Specification of Letters ratent.

Patented Sept. 20, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL E. HENNESSY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Holyoke, county of Hampden, and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevating- Trucks, ofwhich the following is a clear, full, and exact description.

This invention relates to elevating trucks and particularly to elevatingtrucks of the type in which the elevation of the load is effectedthrough mechanism operated from the steering and draft handle of thetruck.

A general object of the invention is so to incorporate a jack, andparticularly a mechanically operated step-by-step jack, in a truck ofthe aforementioned type, that the load lifting capacit of the truck maybe many times increase without materially increasing the bulk of thetruck, complicating its mechanism or interfering with its convenienthandling in the restricted spaces a in which such trucks must frequentlybe used.

More particularly the invention aims so to incorporate multiplyinglevers in a truck, which has a load support arranged to be elevated by acombined lengthwise and upward movement of the support and amechanically operated step-by-step jack extending lengthwise of thetruck and arranged to be operated by the steering handle of thetruck,-that said levers will transmit to the jack from thefhalndle, foreach load lifting step, a much increased load lifting power.

An important feature of the invention, whicih contributes particularlyto the compactness of the truck construction, is the provision, incombinatioii ;with a jack extending lengthwise of the truck, of one ormore multiplying levers arranged upright at the forward end of the truewhereby the power applied by the operator to the handle of the truck maybe multiplied at the jack without materially increasing any dimension ofthe truck.

Another feature of the invention is the provision for automaticconnection of the steering handle to the elevating mechanism when thesteering handle is moved into position convenientl to operate theelevating mechanism. Stil other features and objects of the inventionwill appear from the following description and claims when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate theinvention embodied in a truck of the type shown in my Patent No. 1,327,47 0, dated January 6, 1920.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a truck embodying the presentinvention, parts of the truck being omitted in order to show other partsupon a larger scale;

g. 2 is a side elevation with parts in sfiectloln, of the portion of thetruck shown in ig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the truck, showingdetails of the step-by-step jack mechanism and showing the arrangementof multiplying levers and the connection of these levers to the steeringhandle;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the jack releasing means;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4-; Fig. 6is a rear elevation of the jack locking nut;

Fig 7 is a rear elevation of the jack operating nut;

Fig. 8 is a modification showing parts of the invention embodied in atruck of the hydraulic 'ack type, the truck being shown in longitu inalsection;

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section to one side of the section shown inFig. 8 and illustrating more fully other parts of the truck which do notappear in the showing in Fig. 8, the full lines indicating the positionof the parts when the platform is lowered, and the dotted linesindicating the elevated position of the platform;

Fig. 10 is a lan view of the modified truck shown in ig. 8;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail section on the line 1010 of Fig. 10; and

Fig. 12 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 10.

The illustrated truck is of the type having a single front steeringwheel or a pair of steering wheels carried b a member arranged to swivelat the ront end of the truck, this member being connected to thesteering handle, and the rear end of the truck being carried uponsupporting wheels at the end of an axle extend ng across the truck, thetruck being therefore a three 'wheeled truck with a single steeringwheel and a pair of supporting Wheels.

In the illustrated preferred embodiment of the invention, the truckcomprises a frame 2 having an upwardly and forwardly arched portion 4.At the forward end of the arched portion 4 of the frame is a verticalbearing in which the swivel pin 115 of a steering fork 113 is arrangedto turn, this steering fork carrying a steering wheel 112 upon a axlepin 114. Atthe rear .of the frame, supporting wheels 111 are carried atthe respective ends of an axle 109, extending across the frame 2.

The elevating platform 6 is arranged for a compound movement ofelevation upon the frame, comprising a shifting movement and a liftingmovement, the platform being maintained in parallelism to itselfthroughout this movement. This compound movement may be obtained in anysuitable way, as, for example, by inclined members 123 and 124, such asshown in my patent hereinabove referred to.

The jack by which the shifting and lifting movements of the platform 6are effected is pivotally mounted upon the truck frame 2 .so that it mayswing about its pivots 8 as the platform is raised, and this jackcomprises a jack post 10 having rigidly attached to its outer end a head12 pivoted between ears 14 on a bracket 16 attached to the underside ofthe platform 6. The jack post 10 is provided with steep threads orgrooves 18, the illustrated 'ack post having three of these threads.ounted upon the jack post are two nuts 20 and 22, the nut 20 beingthreaded to cooperate with all three of the threads 18 upon the jackpost, and the nut 22 having two threads which cooperate with two of thethree threads 18 of the jack post. The purpose of this differenoe in thethreading of the two nuts will appear hereinafter.

It will be noted. that the threading of the jack post 10 is so steepthat a movement of the jack post through the nuts 20 and 22, or amovement of the nuts 20 and 22 lengthwise of the jack post will causethe nuts to be turned upon the jack post. In order that advantage may betaken of this to effect a longitudinal movement of the jack post,provision is made for relative movements of approach and separation ofthe nuts and for alternately holding the nuts against turning.

' In the illustrated construction the nut 20 is mounted in a bearingmember 24, which is carried upon the pivots 8 and is thus free to turnabout said pivots during the operation of the jack but is held againstmovement lengthwise of the frame 2. The nut 20 is provided with aconical clutching surface 26, which cooperates with the correspondinglyshaped inner face 28 in the rear end a corresponding cylindrical bore 31in the bearing member 24, said neck portion being threaded at itsforward end to receive a nut or collar 32 by which said nut 20 isconfined in the bearing member, the collar 32 being so located upon thenut 20 that provision is made for movement of the nut 20 in the bore 31whereby the clutching surface 26 upon the nut 20 may be moved into andout of engagement with the cooperating surface 28 upon the bearingmember24. This movement of the nut 20 through the bore of the bearing 24 issufliciently free so that it will be effected by the movement of thejack post. The nut ,22, like the nut 20, has a conical clutching surface34 which cooperates with the correspondingly shaped inner surface 36 ina bearing member 38 for said nut 22. The nut 22, like the nut 20, alsohas a cylindrical neck portion 40 received in a cylindrical bore 41 inthe bearing member 38 and threaded at its forward end to receive acollar 42 which confines said nut in its hearing. The bearing member 38is provided with trunnions 44 which receive links 46 pivotally connectedat 48 to a lever 50, of the second class, fulcrumed at 52 upon a bracket54 at the forward end of the truck frame 2. Oscillation of said lever 50about its fulcrum 52 effects, through the links 46, a reciprocation ofthe bearing member 38 upon the jack post 10. The nut 22, like the nut20, is confined in its bearing member with provision for limitedmovement lengthwise of said member, whereby the surface 34 upon the saidnut is moved into and out of clutching relation to the surface 36 onsaid member.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the bearingmember 38 is moved toward the rear of the truck, that is,

toward the right in each of the figures in which it is shown, it will bebrought into clutching relation to the nut 22 and will not only carrythe nut with it but will also prevent it from turning upon the jack post10, thereby causing the jack post also to be moved with said bearingmember. Such movement of the jack post moves the nut 20 out of clutchingrelation to its bearing member 24, whereby the nut 20 is free to turnupon the jack post as the jack post is moved through it. When thebearing member 38 is again moved toward the front of the truck, that is,toward the left in each of the figures in which it is shown, it movesout of clutching relation to the nut 22, thus permitting this nut toturn freely upon the jack post. At the sametime the tendency of the jackpost to move back to its original position causes the nut 20 to be movedinto clutching relation to the bearing member 24, whereby this nut isprevented from turning and the jack post is thus held substantially inthe position to which it has been moved by the movement of the bearingmember 38 toward the rear of the truck. 'The jack post being held by thenut 20, the nut 22 is moved to a new position upon the jack post, andwhen the bearing member 38 is again moved toward the rear of the truck,the jack post is advanced still farther in its platform-liftingdirection.

A lever 56, fulcrumed at 58 upon the arched portion 4 of the truckframe, has a pin 60 received in a slot 62 in the upper end of the lever50 and is provided with a stop 64 arranged to engage a stop 66 upon thetruck frame to limit the rearward movement of said lever. The lever 56ma be connected in any suitable manner to t e handle by which the truckis drawn and steered, whereby it may be operated by a forward andbackward movement of said handle to effect the oscillation of the lever50, the connection to the draft handle of the truck being described morefully hereinafter.

It will be apparent that in order to release the jack to permit the loadplatform to be lowered, it is necessary that both the nut 20 and the nut22 be permitted to turn freely upon the jack post 10. Means now to bedescribed has been provided for effecting the release of the jack, suchmeans being preferably arranged to be operated by the foot of theoperator. The means operating to hold the nut 20 in released positionwill first be described:

The bearing member 24 for the nut 20 has a cylindrical extension 68 onthe forward side of its pivotal axis, which is threaded to receive a cap70, having a central bore through which the jack post 10 moves, andhaving a stud 72 projecting from its front face below said jack post.The stud 72 serves as a crank pin by which the cap 70 may be screwedback and forth upon the cylindrical art 68 of the bearing member.Between t e inner face of the cap 70 and the forward end of the nut 20is a washer 74. When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3, itwill be seen that the washer 74 fills the space between the end ofthenut 20 and the inner face of the cap 70, the nut 20 being in itsreleased condition, thus reventlation to its bearing member.

ing the nut from moving into clutc ing re- This is the released positionof these parts and is not the normal position. In the normal position ofthese parts there is sufficient space between the inner face of the capand the seat for the collar 32, so that the nut 20 may move freely intoand out of clutching relation to the bearing member 24.

The means for moving the cap70 into the position shown in Fig. 3comprises a bellcrank lever 76 having on one arm an upwardly extendingforked portion 78 which embraces the stud 72, the other arm 80 of thebell-crank lever being bent upwardly out of the plane of the firstmentioned arm, and having a universal joint connection 82 with a link orrod 84 connected at its other end to the lower arm of a treadle lever86, fulcrumed at 88 upon the truck frame. A spring 90 confined betweenthe collar 92 on the rod 84, and an upstanding portion 94 of the truckframe, tends to hold the treadle lever 86 in its elevated position andto hold the bell-crank 76 in such position that the cap 70 is maintainedin the jack-operating position. In order that the nut 22 may also beheld in such relation to its bearing member 38 that it will turn freelyon the jack post as said post moves toward the platform-loweringposition, an abutment 98 is provided against which the forward end ofthis nut strikes when the carrier 38 is moved to its extreme forwardposition, thus effecting a relative movement of the carrier and nutintounclutching relation.

In order that the operator may retard the lowering of the latform,braking means have been embodled in the jack-releasing means, theillustrated braking ,means comprising a conical friction surface 96 uponthe collar 32, which coperates with a correspondingly shaped frictionsurface upon the inside of the bearing member 24. These two surfaces arepreferably so shaped that they do not constitute a locking couple. Itwill be seen that as the operator presses his foot upon the treadleportion 87 of the treadle lever 86, he effects-the turning of the cap 70to release the locking couple 20, 24, and further depression moves thefriction surface 96 into contact with the friction surface on the member24, thereby retarding the turning of the nut 20. The degree. of theretarding action depends obviously upon the pressure exerted upon thetreadle 87.

In order to limit the lifting movement of the jack, a plug or stop 97 islocated in that one of the threads 18 of the jack-post 10 which has nocorresponding thread in the nut 22. The stop 97 will thus pass throughthe nut 22 and into engagement with the front end of .the thread in thenut 20 which travels in said groove or thread in which the stop islocated. It will thus be seen that the jack can be extended by theoperation of the nut 22 substantially to the end of the jack-post 10,and that the stop 97 will prevent over-extension or movement of thejack-post 10 out of operative relation to the nuts.

. As hereinabove suggested, an important feature of the invention is thearrangement, in combination with a mechanically operated step-by-stepjack, of. a series of multiplying levers at the forward end of the truck.so arranged that the lifting power transmitted from the truck handle tothe jack fo each lifting step of the jack will be many times multiplied,this arrangement being such that the bulk of the truck is not increasednor the convenience with which it may be manipulated in any Waydiminished. It will be noted that the lever 50 through which the lever56 transmits its movement to the jack-extending clutch, has itsrespective lever arms so proportioned that it constitutes a powermultiplying lever in the chain of connections between the truck steeringhandle 118 and the jack, and that the lever 56 itself also has its armsso proportioned that it constitutes a power multiplying lever in thischain of connections. At the upper end of the lever 56 is a link 134,through which connection is made to the steering handle 118, this linkhaving at its forward end an enlarged portion 135 provided with a recessshaped to hook over a pin 136 extending between the fork members 119 ofthe steering handle 118. This enlargement 135 is so located upon thelink 134 that when the link 134 is not connected to the steering handle118, the enlargement or head 135 rests upon the upper end of the swivelbearing 116. At its forward end the head 135 is so beveled, as shown,that when the handle 118 is swung into position to operate the jack, thepin 136 will engage the beveled face of the head 135 and cause the link134 to ride up on the pin 136 until the recess in the head 135 comesinto position over the pin 136, when the link will drop into connectedrelation to the handle 118.

It will be noted that the link 134 connects the lever 56 to the handle118 at such a point, with respect to the fulcrum of the -whole chain ofmultiplying levers thus transmitting to the mechanically operatedstep-by-step jack many times the lifting power exerted-upon the handleby the operator, whereby the truck may be utilized to handle heavyloads.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 8 to 12inclusive, a hydraulic jack of the type disclosed in my patent is shown,in combination with multiplying levers by which the power exerted u onthe handle is multiplied many times tl frough the means by which it istransmitted to the jack. In this construction, however, it is notnecessary to utilize so many multiplying levers to obtain the samemultiplication of power, since a multiplica tion of power is obtained inthe jack itself, such multiplication by the well-known laws of hdraulics being in proportion to the relative areas of the pump pistonand the jack piston or plunger.

In the modified form of the invention, the base 110 of the truckisprovided with rear wheels 111 and a front steering wheel 112, arrangedsubstantially in the same manner as corresponding parts of the preferredform of the invention, the steering wheel being carried by a steeringfork 113 swiveled in a bearing 116, in a bracket 117 at the forward endof the base 110. The steering handle 118 is provided with bifurcation119 fulcrumed upon the ends of the axle pin 114. The platform 120 of thetruck may be of any suitable construction, and its side bars 121 and theside bars 122 of the base may be formed of angle metal, as shown in Fig.12.

The platform normally rests upon the base and may be raised orloWeredthrough the intervention of suitable mechanism, the mechanism for thispurpose, herein illustrated, comprising inclined members 123 upon thebase, presenting their inclined surfaces upwardl and inclined members124 upon the plat orm 120, presenting their inclined surfacesdownwardly, the two inclined surfaces engaging for relative slidingmovement. The particular means for effecting the elevation of theplatform constitutes no part of the present invention, and consequentlymay be replaced by other well known means for effecting a combinedlongitudinal and vertical relative movement of the platform and base.The jack 126 and the associated pump 125 are preferably rigidlyconnected, the pump being rovided with lateral bearing sockets 128 w ichreceive suitable pivot pins 129 rigidly mounted on the front portion ofthe base, as shown in Fig. 8. The piston rod 130, connected to asuitable piston within the pump 125' is connected by a link 131 toa-lever 132 which is fulcrumed upon the extension 117 of the base, theupper arm of this lever being longer than the lower arm and beingpivotally connected at its end to the link 134, which is provided with arecessed head 135 adapted'to be engaged with the pin 136 on the truckhandle 118 in the manner hereinabove described. in connection with thepreferred form of the invention. When the handle is free from said link,the truck may be steered thereby, but when it is engaged therewith, thepiston 130 of the pump may be reciprocated by the oscillation of saidhandle, which serves as a hand-lever.

The ram 140 of the hydraulic jack is pivotally connected at 145 with therear end of the platform 120, and the jack is so constructed withsuitable valves, more fully described in my co-pending applicationSerial No. 194,591 hereinabove identified, that a step-by-step extensionof the jack may be effectedand a corresponding step-by ste-p elevationof the platform. The hydraulic 166 on the truck base.

between its respective pivotal connections to the base and to theplatform, as the platform is elevated upon the base.

The modified form of the invention, like the preferred form, preferablyincludes manually controlled means for releasing the jack to permit theplatform to move to its depressed position, the illustrated meansincluding a valve, more. fully shown and described in the co-pendingapplication Serial No. 194,591 hereinabove identified, this valve beingcontrolled by a plunger 162 projecting to theoutside of the jackcasingand arranged in the path of an arm 167 on a rock shaft 165 journaled insuitable bearings An arm 171 on the rock shaft 165 is connected by alink 172 with a pedal 173 pivoted upon the base at.

174. A spring 175 tends normally to keep the pedal 173 in raisedposition and thereby to hold the arm 167 out of engagement with theplunger 162.

In order to prevent over-extension of the jack and elevation of theplatform beyond a predetermined limit, a link 169 is connected toanother arm 168 on the rock shaft 165, and has a lost motion connectionwith the underside of the platform, comprising a nut 170 adjustablythreaded upon the rod, this nut being adapted to engage the end of theguide 180 when the platform reaches its uppermost position, wherebyfurther movement of the platform will cause the rock shaft 165 to berocked, thus bringing the arm 167 into engagement with the plunger 162to prevent further extension of the jack.

What I claim as new is:-

1. In an elevating truck, the combination with a base having supportingand steering wheels and an elevating support movable up and down uponsaid base, of meansfor effecting the up and down movement, comprising astep-by-step jack arranged and operating lengthwise of said base and aseries of multiplying levers having their long arms projecting upwardand swinging in front of said elevating support at the forward end ofsaid truck and having their fulcra vertically spaced, said series oflevers having a positive connection with said jack through which theoscillations of said levers are transmitted to said jack to effect thestep-by-step movement thereof.

2. In an elevating truck, the combination with a base, supporting wheelsand a steering swivel, and an elevating support movable up and down uponsaid base, of means for effecting the up and down movement, comprising amechanically operated step-bystep jack arranged and operating lengthwiseof said base beneath said support, a steering and draft handle mountedupon said swivel and means for operating said jack from said steerin anddraft handle, comprising a series o multiplying levers arranged withtheir fulcra in substantially vertical alinement between said elevatingsupport and said steering swivel.

3. In an elevating truck, the combination with the truck base,supporting and steering wheels for said base and an elevating sup portmovable up and down upon said base, of means for effecting the up andmovement of said support, comprising a step-by-step jack extendinlengthwise of said base, a steering hand e connected to the steeringwheel to swing therewith and arranged to swing also in a vertical plane,and a multiplying lever for connecting said steering handle to said jackto effect the step-by-step movement of said jack by the verticalswinging movement of said handle, said lever projecting upward in frontof said elevating support and being connected to said handle above saidsteering wheel.

4. An elevating truck having, in combination, a truck base, a steeringwheel havin a swivel connection with the front end 0 said base, asteering handle pivoted upon the steering swivel, load lifting means,comprising a load support and a step-by-step jack operating lengthwiseof said base and beneath said load support, and operatingv connectionsbetween said steering handle and said jack, including a multiplyinglever extending upwardly between said load support and said swlvel and alink connecting the long arm of said lever with said handle above saidswivel.

5. In an elevating truck, the combination with the wheeled truck basehaving a steering swivel at the front of said base, a steering handleconnected to the steering swivel to swing therewith and verticallythereon, and an elevating support, of means for effecting the up anddown movement of said elevating support upon said base, comprising astep-b -step jack operating lengthwise of said truck a multiplying leverat the forward end of said truck having a depending short arm connectedto said ack and having a long arm projected at all times into the spacebetween said elevating support and said steering swivel, and a powermultiplyin connection between said long arm and said steering handle foroperating said lever and said jack from said steering handle.

6. In an elevating truck, the combination with the wheeled truck basehaving a steering swivel at the front of said base, a steering handleconnected to said swivel to swing therewith in steering and to swingvertically thereon, and an elevating support mounted upon said base forcombined lengthwise and up and down movement thereon, of means foreffecting the movement of said support upon said base, comprising amechanicallyoperated' step-by-step jack extending lengt wise of saidtruck, a multiplying lever mounted upon said base between said jack andsaid swivel and having a depending short arm connected to said jack, anda long arm located at all times in the space between said elevatingsupport and said swivel and arranged to be connected to said steeringhandle to be operated by the vertical swinging movement thereof.

7. In an elevating truck, the combination with a wheeled base, loadlifting means comprising a load support and a step-by-step 10 ackoperating lengthwise of said base beneath said load support, and jackreleasin means having a lost motion connection wit said load support.

Signed at Holyoke, Massachusetts, this 15 15th day of December, 1917.

DANIEL E. HENNESSY.

